Weight plate with hand grip

ABSTRACT

A weight lifting plate is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed hand grips on each side of the plate, each hand grip formed by recessed surfaces in each side surface of the plate and a portion of the side surface which together provide a hand grip, such that the weight plate can be grabbed and lifted from either side thereof while the plate is resting against a flat surface such as the floor or against another adjacent weight plate.

INFORMATION REGARDING RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the priority benefit of Provisional Application Serial No. 60/336,482 filed Oct. 30, 2002, which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention generally relates to weight plates for the sport of weight lifting.

[0003] Weight plates mounted on barbells or dumbbells are among one of the most common and often used pieces of equipment by individuals who are involved in the sport of weight lifting either as a form of exercise to get in shape or to stay in shape, or as serious body builders or weight lifters. The standard, common-place weight plates that have been in existence for many years are typically formed in the shape of a round disc with a round hole in the center which allows a barbell (or sometimes a dumbbell) to slide through the plate such that one or more plates can be placed on two ends of the barbell. The user can grasp the barbell by both hands and lift the barbell and the mounted weights in a variety of ways and positions to perform different exercises (e.g., to perform bench press, military press, squats, curls, etc.).

[0004] When a person wants to pick up a typical existing weight plate to mount it onto a barbell (or dumbbell), if the weight plate is laying on a flat surface such as the floor, due to the absence of a handle or a hand grip on the plate, the individual will have a difficult time picking the weight plate off of the flat surface, since he or she cannot get a good grasp on the plate. In some instances, the user may be able to slightly place his fingers under the lower edges of the plate to begin lifting it only to have the plate fall again and pinch the fingers or possibly cause injury to him. The same problem of not having sufficient access or room for the fingers to grab and move the existing weight plate exists when weight plates are placed one next to another on existing racks that have a round protruding rod sized to fit in the center hole of weight plate to hold the wight plates on such racks. Also, if a weight lifter wants to use the weight plate as an independent exercise device, it is difficult to hold and lift the plate without any handle or hand grip.

[0005] Accordingly, there is a need for a weight plate design that enables the user to easily grab or grip the plate when the weight plate is placed on either one of its two sides against a flat surface such as the floor, or when several weight plates are placed against each other on a barbell or on a weight rack. There is also a need for such weight plate to have a design that allows the user to easily grip the plate and use it as a stand-alone exercise device. The present invention is intended to address these and other drawbacks in existing weight plate designs and provides other related advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention provides a new and improved weight plate, which includes a round opening in the center and two pairs of hand grips on opposite sides of the plate. The pair of hand grips on each side of the plate are positioned diametrically opposite of each other, and the pair on one side are positioned substantially at right angles from the pair of hand grips on the other side of the plate. However, other relative positions and angles can also be used without deviating from the principals of the invention. In the present invention, each of the hand grips is formed from recessed surfaces near the outer periphery of the plate that form gripping handles therein such that the user can grasp one of the hand grips with a single hand, or alternatively, can grasp a pair of the hand grips on the desired side of the plate with two hands. In the present invention, the presence of the pair of hand grips on each side of the weight plate allows the weight lifter to be able to grip and move the plate regardless of which side of the plate is resting against a flat surface such as the floor or another adjacent weight plate.

[0007] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:

[0009]FIG. 1 is a plan view of a weight lifting plate embodying the present invention.

[0010]FIG. 2 is a reduced size cross-sectional view of the weight lifting plate of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, taken along the line having reference letters A and C.

[0011]FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the cross-section of the weight plate of the present invention taken along the line having reference letters A and C, showing a first side of the weight plate.

[0012]FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the weight plate of the present invention, showing that portion of the plate between the lines having reference letters B and C (counter-clockwise), showing a substantial portion of the first side and a small portion of a second side of the weight plate.

[0013]FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the weight plate of the present invention, showing that portion of the plate between the lines having reference letters D and C (counter-clockwise), showing a substantial portion of the first side and a small portion of the second side of the plate.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0014] As shown in exemplary drawings, a new and improved weight plate is provided, wherein in the preferred embodiment, a plate 10 has a round shape with an outer periphery 12 and includes a round opening 14 in the center thereof. As with existing weight plates, the plate of the present invention has two sides, a first side 16 and a second side 18, and a uniform thickness “d” along the periphery 12 between the first side 16 and the second side 18. The plate 10 can be made from a variety of materials, such as steel (with or without rubber or urethane coating) or other suitable materials as known by those skilled in the art. As an alternative to the preferred round shape, the plate 10 can be made with a variety of other shapes (e.g., square, oval, etc.) having a variety of weights so as to provide a range of choices of appropriate weights to the weight lifter (e.g., 5, 10, 25, 35, or 45 pounds).

[0015] The first side 16 of the plate 10 is provided with a pair of hand grips 20 a and 20 c that are positioned substantially diametrically opposed from one another, and the formation of the hand grips 20 a and 20 b is described next as follows: For ease of explanation, the plate is descriptively divided into four sections or quadrants identified by reference numbers 22 a, 22 b, 22 c and 22 d on the first side 16 of the plate, and said four quadrants are also identified by reference numbers 44 a, 44 b, 44 c and 44 d on the second side 18 of the plate, wherein the quadrant 44 a is positioned below 22 a, 44 b is below 22 b, 44 c is below 22 c, and 44 d is below 22 d.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, two of the opposite quadrants 22 b and 22 d on the first side 16 have flat surfaces, while the hand grips 20 a and 20 c are positioned and formed in the other two opposite quadrants 22 a and 22 c on the first side 16 of the plate near the periphery thereof. At each of the quadrants 22 a and 22 c, a recessed cavity 24 having a modified triangular shape with a reduced thickness is formed. The recessed cavity 24 in each quadrant 22 a and 22 c begins near the round opening 14 at the center of the plate 10 and extends along two side walls 26 and 28 until the side walls reach a point short of the periphery 12 of the plate, and from such point the third side 30 of the recessed cavity follows a circular path along the periphery 12 of the plate. As shown in FIGS. 3-5, as compared to the thickness “d” of the periphery of the plate, the bottom surface of each recessed cavity 24 has two portions, a first portion 32 and a second stepped down portion 34, wherein the first portion 32 has a thickness “d1” and the second portion 34 has a thickness “d2”. The thickness “d1” is less than the thickness “d” of the periphery of the plate, and the thickness “d2” is even further reduced from thickness “d1”.

[0017] Each hand grip 20 a and 20 c is formed by having a lower wall 36 an upper wall 38 and a side wall 40. The lower wall 36 is essentially the same as the second stepped down portion 34 of the recessed cavity 24. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper wall 38 is formed by a segment of the first side 16 of the plate in the first quadrant 22 a (in the case of the hand grip 20 a) or in the third quadrant (in the case of the hand grip 20 c) that extends over the second stepped down portion 34 of the recessed cavity 24. As such, the weight lifter can place the four fingers (other than the thumb) of each hand inside the hand grips 20 a and 20 c, and wrap his palms over the upper wall 38 of the hand grips and around the periphery of the plate to grab and lift the plate by two hands. If desired, the weight lifter may also need only a single hand grip on one side of the plate to lift the plate, which would obviously require more force by the one lifting hand and arms.

[0018] While the above describes the specifics of the first side 16 of the plate and the formation of hand grips 20 a and 20 c on the first side 16, with reference to FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, it can easily be seen and understood that the second side 18 of the plate is similar to the first side 16 with the following differences: In the first side 16 the hand grips 20 a and 20 c are respectively formed in the first quadrant 22 a and the third quadrant 22 c, with the surfaces of the second and fourth quadrants 22 b and 22 d on the first side being flat. However, in the second side 18 of the plate, a pair of diametrically opposed hand grips 42 b and 42 d are formed respectively in the second quadrant 44 b and the fourth quadrant 44 d, with the first and third quadrants 44 a and 44 c remaining flat. In other respects, the second side 18 of the plate is the same as the first side 16, and as explained, the only differences are that the hand grips and recessed cavities in the second side are positioned/rotated approximately ninety degrees away around the round plate as compared with the hand grips and recessed cavities on the first side of the plate.

[0019] The above-described and shown weight plate of the invention may be used by mounting it onto a barbell or dumbbell, or it can also be used as a stand-alone weight lifting equipment, wherein the user would grab the plate by one or two hands and perform a variety of exercises (somewhat similar to using a dumbbell). It should be noted that one advantage of the present invention is that the plate may be grabbed and lifted by the user from both sides thereof. In other words, no matter which side of the plate is resting against the floor or another plate mounted on a rack or on a barbell, since both sides of the plate have hand grips, the user can grab and lift the plate from the hand grips that are exposed to the user. As such, when the user is done with the weight plate and wants to place it back on the rack or place it on the floor, the user would not have to worry about which side of the plate should be placed on the rack or on the floor, given that both sides have hand grips, and the exposed hand grips can later be used again to lift and move the plate.

[0020] It will be appreciated by the reader that the invention provides several advantages. The invention is simple and attractive in design, and provides a weight plate with easy to grasp handles or gripping areas formed in pairs of oppositely positioned recesses on each side of the plate such that the handling or lifting of the plate adjacent another flat surface can be easily and safely be done by the user regardless of which side of the plate is exposed to the user.

[0021] Although the preferred embodiment has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. By way of example, while not shown, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown and described with a pair of diametrically opposed hand grips on each side of the weight plate, alternatively, other numbers of hand grips such as three or four can be positioned on each side of the plate. Also, if desired, only one side of the plate can be provided with hand grips, although this would take away from the ability of the user to grab and lift the plate from either side thereof. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except as by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A weight plate used for physical fitness, comprising: an integrally formed plate member having a circular opening in the center thereof, a first side and a second side, and an outer periphery between said first side and said second side; and a pair of generally diametrically opposed hand grips formed from recessed segments on said first side of said plate, each said recessed segment having a cavity located between an upper surface of said first side of said plate adjacent said outer periphery and a lower surface of each said recessed segment.
 2. A weight plate used for physical fitness, comprising: an integrally formed plate member having a circular opening in the center thereof, a first side and a second side, and an outer periphery between said first side and said second side; a first pair of generally diametrically opposed hand grips on said first side of said plate, said first pair of hand grips formed from first side recessed segments on said first side of said plate, with each said first side recessed segment having a cavity located between an upper surface of said first side of said plate adjacent said outer periphery and a lower surface of each said first side recessed segment; and a second pair of generally diametrically opposed hand grips on said second side of said plate, said second pair of hand grips formed from second side recessed segments on said second side of said plate with each said second side recessed segment having a cavity located between an upper surface of said second side of said plate adjacent said outer periphery and a lower surface of each said second side recessed segment. 